CONCERT: Jimmy Whispers (US)

A lot has changed for everyone over the 8 years since Jimmy Whispers released his debut LP, especially for Jimmy himself. In another lifetime, he was that sweet kid from Chicago who stole our hearts with his aw-shucks Midwestern attitude and his knack for writing catchy old-time melodies. Legendary critic Jessica Hopper once called him the city’s “greatest new homegrown musical enigma,” and he turned a mixtape of iPhone voice memos (Summer in Pain) into a profound racket, that saw him perform at the Pitchfork Music Festival and earn praise from that outlet and places like Stereogum, Spin, BrooklynVegan, VICE, NME, and many others. If you caught a glimpse, it was exciting, but it was just a warm-up to his second act. As for today, Jimmy Whispers is alive and well in Los Angeles. He's still making music—quite a lot of it. He's got a blossoming new career as a…